The Pre-Implementation Phase of a Project Seeking to Deliver a Community-Based CVD Prevention Intervention (SPICES-Sussex): A Qualitative Study Exploring Views and Experience Relating to Intervention Development

Background. Community-led health care interventions may be an effective way to tackle cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, especially in materially deprived communities where health care resources are stretched and engagement with institutions is often low. To do so effectively and equitably, interventions might be developed alongside community members through community engagement. Objectives. The aim of this project was to carry out stakeholder mapping and partnership identification and to understand the views, needs, experiences of community members who would be involved in later stages of a community-based CVD prevention intervention's development and implementation. Methods. Stakeholder mapping was carried out to identify research participants in three communities in Sussex, United Kingdom. A qualitative descriptive approach was taken during the analysis of focus groups and interviews with 47 participants. Findings. Three themes were highlighted related to intervention design (a) Management: the suitability of the intervention for the community, management of volunteers, and communication; (b) Logistics: the structure and design of the intervention; and (c) Sociocultural issues, the social and cultural expectations/experiences of participants and implementers. Conclusions. Study participants were open and willing to engage in the planned community-based intervention, particularly in elements of co-design and community-led delivery. They also highlighted the importance of sociocultural factors. Based on the findings, we developed recommendations for intervention design which included (but were not limited to): (a) a focus on a bottom-up approach to intervention design, (b) the recruitment of skilled local volunteers, and (c) the importance of fun and simplicity.